A research team from Michigan State University has produced evidence that a hormone called oxytocin may help stimulate the regeneration of cardiomyocytes. Researchers believe this discovery may one day help restore lost heart muscle cells in people who have heart attacks.
Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death worldwide – nearly 18.6 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2019. The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease, which occurs when plaque builds up inside. of the blood vessels that feed the heart. When the heart doesn’t get the blood and oxygen it needs, a person can experience a potentially life-threatening heart attack, clinically called myocardial infarction.
When heart muscle cells are deprived of blood and oxygen, they can begin to die, damaging the heart. Historically, scientists believed that heart muscle cells, called cardiomyocytes, could not regenerate. This meant that any heart muscle cell that a person lost during a heart attack would not be able to recover over time. However, previous research shows that heart muscle cells may be able to regenerate.
THE Michigan State University researchers have found evidence that the hormone oxytocin helps stimulate the regeneration of lost heart muscle cells. Scientists hope this discovery will one day help people recover heart muscle cells lost during a heart attack.
Oxytocin is a naturally occurring hormone produced in the hypothalamus region of the brain. The hormone is usually associated with the functions of the female reproductive system, including childbirth and breastfeeding. According to Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, a board-certified cardiologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, oxytocin has no medical role outside of obstetrics.
“The most common indications are for the promotion of labor and to control uterine bleeding after delivery,” explained the expert. Dr Tadwalkar also pointed out that oxytocin is known as “love hormonee ”because it promotes relationships and a positive state of mind.
“Oxytocin is augmented by activities that we often find enjoyable and / or fulfilling,” he noted. “Typically, these are mind-body activities such as meditation, yoga or sexual intimacy. Also included are conversations, cooking, sharing a meal with someone, being charitable, performing acts of kindness, as well as engaging in forms of contact such as hugs, kisses and massages. ” Previous research also shows that oxytocin has a positive impact on the heart, as it helps lower blood pressure.
Why did the researchers decide to consider oxytocin to potentially aid heart muscle cell regeneration?
“Regeneration is a very energetically demanding process and imposes severe restrictions on heart function, so we thought there should be some sort of ‘central control’ rather than being completely autonomous,” explained the study’s lead author. Dr. Aitor Aguirre, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University.
“Our plausible hypothesis, based on what is known about the central control of other critical processes in the body, was potential brain-controlled neuroendocrine pathways. With that in mind, we took about 20 important neuroendocrine hormones as well [verificato] their ability to activate epicardial stem cells, which participate in the regeneration of the heart. The oxytocin was the biggest hit, ”she said.
Dr. Aguirre and his team used both in vitro human tissue and zebrafish to study how oxytocin helps stimulate stem cells created by the heart’s epicardium – called epicardial-derived progenitor cells – to transform into cardiomyocytes.
“Oxytocin reprograms a population of adult cells in the outer layers of the heart – called the epicardium – and turns them into stem cells,” Dr Aguirre further explained. “These stem cells migrate into the deeper layers of the injured heart – myocardium – and repair parts of the injury by releasing healing factors and turning into lost cells – blood vessels, cardiomyocytes, and fibroblasts.”
Dr Aguirre said that after further studies, these findings could lead to a treatment to increase a person’s regenerative response: “Oxytocin and several analogues are already used in the clinic for other conditions, so it’s easy to see it as a potential drug. which could be given to people soon after myocardial infarction to increase endogenous regeneration, either as an injection into the bloodstream or perhaps a pill that uses small molecule drugs. [Questo] could be a significant step forward in reducing mortality and morbidity from heart attacks and related conditions in which the heart is injured ”.
In addition to providing information on oxytocin, Dr. Tadwalkar specified that there is absolutely the potential for the practical application of the results of this study in humans: “We’re not there yet, but oxytocin, or a similar analogue that stimulates its receptor, could conceivably be used to regenerate the heart in humans after an acute or chronic injury.”
“Unfortunately, oxytocin only exists briefly in the human circulation [con una] short half-life, ”warned Dr. Tadwalkar. “However, we could take advantage of this beneficial signaling pathway in humans by creating drugs with greater potency or longer half-lives. Since we already use oxytocin clinically, this is not inconceivable ”.
Yet Dr. Tadwalkar also stressed the need to evaluate the potential side effects of an increased dose of oxytocin.
“When oxytocin is naturally boosted, we don’t think there are any significant adverse effects,” he explained. “However, several studies have shown that oxytocin could promote dishonesty and fear, the latter due to selective social bonding. When oxytocin is used medicinally in the obstetric world, there are a variety of systemic side effects. The common ones from a cardiovascular point of view include changes in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as rhythm disturbances ”.
The Doctor Sanjiv Patela certified interventional cardiologist at the MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, said, “An exciting start” for a potential way to regenerate heart cells. There is a lot of research going on right now in terms of reviving the damaged part of the heart, ”he explained. “A lot of lab studies have been successful, but then in the real world when they do clinical trials, it hasn’t been as successful. So this is promising, but I think he still has a long way to go ”.
Regarding this research, Dr. Patel said he would like to see how oxytocin effectively helps regenerate cardiomyocytes. ”How does it regenerate in an effective heart muscle cell? At what point does it stop regenerating? What other factor does it need to increase the mass production of cells within the heart? ”.
“We also need to find out under what conditions or what other stimulating factors or chemicals are needed to support change so that it improves and not just transiently and then comes back to having a problem,” added Dr Patel. “This requires a lot of study. And then, of course, it moves up a mammalian hierarchy to see what happens in their hearts before it reaches human levels, ”concluded the expert.
In Italy, according to the Ministry of Health: “Cardiovascular diseases still represent the main cause of death in our country, being responsible for 34.8% of all deaths (31.7% in males and 37.7% in females) . In particular, according to Istat 2018 data, ischemic heart disease is responsible for 9.9% of all deaths (10.8% in males and 9% in females), while cerebrovascular accidents by 8.8% (7, 3% in males and 10.1% in females) “.
“Women have a longer life expectancy, so it is good that they start taking care of their health from childhood. It is therefore important to adopt healthy lifestyles, such as proper nutrition and regular physical activity.
A limited consumption of salt (less than 5 grams per day) associated with a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, legumes, foods low in animal fats, such as fish, poultry, with a low quantity of red meats and sausages, sweets and sugary drinks, helps reduce blood pressure and maintain optimal cholesterol levels “.
“Maintain a healthy lifestyle and practice regular physical activity (doing sports and any activity that requires movement, walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day, climbing stairs, dancing), not smoking and avoiding / limiting the consumption of alcohol help reduce the risk ”.
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